Archive for the ‘watering tips’ Category

Success With Succulents

Succulents are beautiful, low maintenance plants that are popular among plant addicts who grow them outdoors and as indoor house plants. Most are indigenous to desert or dryland conditions. They hold water in their fleshy leaves, stems and roots. Overwatering succulent plants is their nemesis. Adequate soil drainage and light are of key importance. These […]

Three Hybrid Oaks Grow Tall And Narrow

Where space is limited, such as along a narrow thoroughfare or snuggled up near a downtown building, here are three (plus two others pictured here) columnar oaks that you can depend upon. Beacon® is a hybrid swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) discovered by famed plantsman Dr. Michael Dirr and introduced by J. Frank Schmidt Nursery in […]

Growing Rain Lilies

Rain lilies (Zephyranthes), aka Zephyr lily, Atamasco lily, fairy lily, et al. are small perennial bulbs that are native to the southeastern United States, Central and South America (USDA hardiness zones 7-10).  In the U.S., these bulbous members of the Amaryllis Family (Amaryllidaceae) grow in shady woodlands and wet meadows where they peek out along […]

Four Gold Leaf Landscape Trees

Deciduous trees that flaunt gold foliage in the spring and summer months are a rare sight in U.S. landscapes. Listed below are four tree species/cultivars that possess bright gold foliage, particularly when sited in full sun. Under partial shade, leaf color may eventually turn lime green to chartreuse.  All four species are winter hardy in […]

Surprise Lilies

Add a bit of unexpected beauty to your garden in late summer with surprise lilies (Lycoris spp.), aka spider lilies, resurrection lilies, magic lilies, and naked ladies. (Zones 4-9).  Along coastal areas of the southern U.S., they are called “hurricane lilies”. The most popular is red spider lily (L. radiata), a long-lived heirloom flower in Southern gardens, […]

Celebrate Summer Growing Colorful Perennial Hibiscus

Perennial hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) is commonly known as rose mallow or dinner plate size hibiscus. Blooms measure a huge 7-9 inches across. Plants are exceptionally hardy, and can withstand winters as cold as zone 4 (-20°F to -30°F) in Minnesota (zone 4) and the heat of zone 9 (20°F -30°F) in Florida. Each flower lasts […]

Mini Reblooming Smooth Hydrangeas

Smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) generally grow 6 -7 feet high, and some wild forms upwards of 10 feet (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). The exceedingly popular Invincibelle® series grow 5-6 feet high. Three recently introduced mini-types (listed below) are perfect for a small garden or in a large container. Shrubs in the series reach full size in […]

Mimosa Tree – Love It Or Not

Over the hot spring and summer months, weedy Mimosa trees (Albizia julibrissin) stand beautiful along U.S roadsides. During the rest of the year, people pay very little attention to this arboreal Asian beauty that inhabit a vast area from Iran to China (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). From late spring through summer, mimosa struts an attractive […]

Rose of Sharon – A Summer Delight

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), aka althea, is a vigorous, upright, vase-shaped, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that typically grows 8-12 feet tall with some exceptions. Altheas may also be trained as small trees or espalier. Showy 5-petaled flowers appear over a long summer period and sometimes into early fall. The center of each flower has prominent […]

A Late Season Blooming Tree

Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is a large, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that grows 15-20 feet tall and 10-12 feet wide at maturity. This rare unique specimen is catching on in the U.S. because of its year-round appeal (USDA hardiness zones 5-9). It is an excellent choice for a lawn specimen or plant several in a […]